The times are always a changin', and nowhere is that more true for the newly certified chef Kelis. Since her 2010 dance-pop effort "Fleshtone", she initially continued that path and sought the assistance of many UK electronica producers for her sixth album. Although, as the themes and moods began to take route, she quickly changed course and instead wanted a soulful sound: something domestic, yet celebrates all facets of life. Her lone collaborator for "Food" is Dave Sitek, from TV on the Radio, an interesting choice, but a fitting one. Like The Neptunes and David Guetta before him, Sitek knows how to streamline Kelis' unique voice and signature sass into any genre he thinks up. Indeed, the core foundation of "Food" is exactly what you might expect, throwback soul with a modern, urban flavor, but yet it's not that simple to pigeonhole a record that features so many distinct trends at work. But before we even look at the songs, it's interesting to examine the song titles: "Breakfast", "Jerk Ribs", "Cobbler", "Fish Fry", and "Biscuits 'n' Gravy", all songs that make the mouth water but contain no references to actual food. This record puts the emphasis on the sound rather than the words, so "Breakfast" is laid-back and sunny, while "Fish Fry" is twangy and rustic. The actual subject matter all breaks down to long-lasting love, an element that was blatantly avoided on "Fleshtone", so its a nice break from tradition. Also a nice break from tradition are the instrumental sounds, made from live recording rather than synthesizers. In 2014, albums as natural and breezy as this are very difficult to come by, especially with all the mainstream focus on the EDM that Kelis perfected with her last album. Doubly impressive is how good "Food" turns out to be: not one track falls below the others in terms of excellence and realization of production ambition. Every song here may not be fully formed as a track on an album, but it's easy to take this concoction apart and enjoy it bit by bit. It'll definitely take some getting used to, for the longtime Kelis fan at least, and that's ok, because once these songs have the time to settle, it leaves the listener craving seconds.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Breakfast 2. Jerk Ribs 3. Forever Be
4. Floyd 5. Runner 6. Hooch
7. Cobbler 8. Bless The Telephone 9. Fish Fry
10. Change 11.
Rumble 12. Biscuits ‘n’ Gravy
13. Dreamer
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